Limited Edition
Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station, NC
In America’s nautical history, there are countless stories of courage and strength. Lighthouse Keepers risked their lives to keep beacons shining through the night. Mariners battled the epic waves to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. Surfmen launched their boats into massive storms to save lives. Throughout history, only eleven persons have ever been awarded the “Grand Crosses of the American Cross of Honor”. Six of these belong to the Surfmen of the Chicamacomico Life Saving Station.
Established in 1874, the Chicamacomico Station had one of the toughest assignments… to patrol the “Graveyard of the Atlantic”. Named for the Algonquin Indian word for “land of sinking sands”, Chicamacomico was one of several Life Saving Stations guarding the Outer Banks area. Risking their lives almost daily, the courageous crew patrolled the beaches on foot and horseback, with countless stories of triumph and tragedy ensuing.
One courageous act that earned the Chicamacomico Surfmen the “Grand Crosses” occurred in 1918; a submarine torpedoed the British tanker Mirlo. Some men died in the explosion, while the survivors were left to endure the burning water around them, ignited by gas and oil floating on the surface.
Without regard for their own lives, six men from the Chicamacomico Life Saving Station bounded into the inferno, searching through the wreckage and smoke to rescue 47 of the 57-man crew. A grateful British nation awarded the men with Gold Life Saving Medals. This was followed by the presentation, from the U.S. Government, of the “Grand Crosses of the American Cross of Honor”.
Edition Limited to 4,500
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